Block of Rock
by Wicked R
Summary: Hiding an angel table inside yourself is not as easy as it looks. Sam/Cas/Dean friendship, on the mild slash side if you squint. H/C as usual.
1. Chapter 1

Title: Block Of Rock

Disclaimers: Purely for fun only. Classic case of 'if you don't see it on screen, fill the void in yourself and write it'.  
Genre: hurt/comfort you glorious!

Rating: PG

Summary/Set/Pairing: Sam/Cas/Dean friendship, on the mild slash side if you squint.

"This place isn't warded adequately against angels," Castiel's gruff voice distracted Dean from packing his duffel. "Well, we have a few in place, but with a click of a switch, I could turn this place into angel repellent electronically. The bunker's awesome that way," the hunter turned towards his friend to explain.

"If I can find you, others can as well," Castiel groused.

"Well, after your latest trip to Rekall, I figured you needed an escape route to Venusville," Dean rolled his eyes at Castiel's pause, "I know, I know! You don't understand the reference," he waved dismissively.

"This is no object for ridicule, Dean," Castiel enunciated sternly. "I think Naomi's main reason for wanting you dead was to remove your influence over me and to prove myself, but you still have to be cautious. She has organised an army to lead up in heaven while I was missing and if not one of her soldiers, than it is possible that I might still harm you if she manages to get into my head again. That was why I stayed away so far."

"Yeah, ok, that makes sense man, that's what I thought. So you think you've cracked it mostly, what's the bitch's up to and how to stop it happening to you?"

"Yes, I think I've got it, Dean. Touching the tablet snapped me out of her influence. I believe all my memories of every moment are accounted for since then and I have found a way of eluding her army. I'm using quantum superposition."

"Hm? You know Cas, I don't understand that reference," Dean grinned at his own joke, "translate nerd language."

"Quantum superposition is a principle of quantum mechanics that holds that a physical or metaphysical system can exist partly in all its particular theoretically possible states or configurations of its properties simultaneously. I am in this bunker, but at the same time, I am in all underground structures built by men. I am in so many places it throws them off my trail."

"You can do that? So you're here, but if I was in the Deep Earth Doomsday Bunker, I could still talk to you?"

"Essentially, yes, but I only manifest in most locations to a lesser extent and I am not able to immediately interact till I refocus my energies."

"That is kinda cool, but sounds like a lot of trouble to have to get into," Dean frowned inquisitively.

"It is considerably draining on my powers, yes and that is why I'd like to return into a state where I don't have to interact with anyone so please let me finish what I came for and you should put the angel wards up after."

"Yeah, yeah, I will anyway leave the place protected since we're leaving in a few. Will you tell me what's going on with you Cas?"

"I came to apologise for my earlier conduct. The angels know they cannot make me follow orders according to my own will anymore, so Naomi utilised more effective measures."

"You were brainwashed to be controlled like a puppet, I get it, I saw how it worked, no need to apologise for that. I'm just glad you snapped out of it in time."

"That is a crude approximation of what had happened, yes," Castiel nodded slightly, "I am deeply sorry that I have hurt you regardless of the cause," the angel looked to the side, seeming bashful.

"Yeah, yeah, ok. So where's the tablet?"

"Safe," Castiel winced, looking even more shy and nervous.

"See!" Dean retorted, mood changed quickly, "that! Your mistrust irritates me more than any blow dealt, Cas. You're sorry? Then show it. Actions, not words."

"The tablet is here with me," Castiel gulped uneasily, gesturing vaguely towards his torso.

"Ah, that's good," Dean stepped forward, half placated, "though Kevin might be dead by now going by his message. Nevertheless, in case he isn't or for when we find the next prophet, you could still hand it over for safekeeping," the hunter probed cautiously, a part of his brain anticipating a possible repeat pounding despite Castiel's apologies.

"The tablet needs protected from everyone," Castiel insisted anew, wincing however at his friend's angry look. He decided that the only way to mend their relationship was to come clean, "but I couldn't give it over to you easily even if I wanted to. It's in here," he pointed to his solar plexus.

"In..your inside coat pocket? Inside your shirt?" Dean frowned suspiciously.

"Inside my abdominal cavity," Castiel intoned matter of factly.

"Dude!" Dean exclaimed in dismay, "how..why would you do that you crazy son of a bitch!" The hunter sputtered, stretching out the word 'crazy' and shaking his head.

"Why, it's the safest place I could think of and how, I made an incision in my abdomen and willed it not to heal till I could place the tablet in. It was..unpleasant," he added after a moment's thought.

"No shit!" Dean rolled his eyes, "so I'm guessing we should leave it there just now till we could get you to a prophet in person. Speaking of which, we think we might've located Metatron. We were just leaving to find him. Want to come?"

"I would," Castiel looked very impressed and interested indeed, "but keeping up quantum superposition with the added drain of interacting in one of the locations is depleting me. Pray for me when you're close and if it's safe I will come."

"Cas! Cas, damn it," Dean grunted annoyed, aware that even though the angel was not in the room anymore, he could still hear him, "I wasn't finished talking to you! Fine, just let me drown in worries over you as usual!" He picked up his travel bags, not in a good mood.

Tbc


	2. Double Hit

Chapter 2: Double Off

"We're in the Two Rivers Hotel, Route 34, Colorado, Room 312," Dean whispered to himself as a prayer to Cas, hoping that the angel was more able to answer than any other time after coming back from purgatory since this time he promised he would. The Winchester let out a relieved sigh when he heard wings flutter and the flash of the trenchcoat before his eyes. "Hey Cas! Now I know you can't do anything for Sam, but I didn't want to leave him on his own in the state he is while..Cas, you look like shit, what's wrong? Have you been in a fight?"

"It's the quantum superposition," Cas shook his head, grabbing hold of the back of a chair to ground him. "I find it too hard to maintain residing in a damaged vessel perpetually needing repair."

"Well, McWhiz, why don't you just quantum super-duper yourself into maybe just half the hotel rooms in America, I would think that's safe enough for cover?"

"I already don't have the capacity for half the hotel rooms in America, I'm just hoping I can emit convincingly present signals in half the hotel rooms of Colorado," Castiel sighed, gingerly positioning himself at the edge of the bed that was vacant.

Dean looked him up and down, considering his friend's exhausted appearance and frowned, "do you think you can still protect Sam? I won't be too long, but I need to check out something."

Castiel sighed, depleted, "perhaps if I make use of the bed," he glanced behind, "I could gather sufficient strength while taking a break."

"Okay, so rest," Dean encouraged him to lie back, "I'd rather leave him with you at any case than by himself," the hunter gathered his jacket to set out, a little relieved that the angel had settled himself on the pillows. Dean's focus has shifted. At this point, it was clear that Castiel needed the break more than Sam needed a chaperone. The older Winchester's gaze lingered on both prone figures for a moment, but the show always had to go on, so he closed the door behind himself.

With Dean out of sight and the younger hunter presumably in deep sleep, Castiel didn't have to hold it together anymore. A drawn out groan left his lips, his hands hovering over his stomach. His instinct would've been to cradle it, protect it, but he knew the extra pressure of his fingers would only make it hurt more. He didn't even feel where exactly was the tablet pressing his insides, his whole abdomen throbbed too much to know the difference. It had to come out, his physique couldn't handle it anymore, but he was quite sure he couldn't handle the repeat damage of what cutting himself up would cause, not now when he was so weakened. He whimpered instead, trying to quell the nausea that seemed to have filled his very being. Drinking another cup of coffee when his stomach was so full with a stone was a bad idea. It was giving him awful cramps that he again, could do nothing about without a better use of his powers. Breathing hurt, moving hurt, staying still hurt and he didn't want to imagine how much vomiting would hurt. But he didn't have to imagine. Coughs and splutters made their way up his throat, forcing him to turn to his side. He had registered the liquid leaving his mouth, but the immeasurable agony that accompanied it cancelled everything else out from his consciousness. He wasn't out cold, he knew that, nonetheless he wasn't with it either. Thus it was a surprise for him to find Sam's concerned face in his hazy vision once the pain marginally subsided.

"Cas, what's wrong?" Sam cupped his face, forcing eye contact to get a response, "you've been throwing up blood, can you tell me what's wrong and how can I help?"

"Don't. Touch," Castiel gasped, terrified that the human would shake him in his no doubt repeated attempts to talk to him. "I..the pain.."

Sam nodded, "Dean told me on the phone when I called him a moment ago that you had the tablet in your stomach. Let me see," he encouraged, "I'll be very gentle," he promised, hands hesitant in the air, waiting for the angel's response.

Castiel huffed out a tiny, involuntary moan, expression pleading, but amenable enough for the scholar to take it as permission. Sam pulled the coat and overcoat gently to the side, then even more delicately fingered the buttons on the dress shirt open carefully. The angel bit his lips, waiting stiff while riding out another wave of cramps that felt as if his stomach was intent on expelling the large object forced to stay in his stomach. He barely felt being undressed, the pain already existent could hardly be topped.

Sam shook his head, staring. Castiel's stomach was covered in purple and red bruises, telling of a number of sites of internal bleeding. The abdomen was a little extended and very hard, muscles contracted and not letting up for a moment. He could see the outline of the angel tablet as it was pushing both the hipbones and the ribcage and he could just about hear the rustle of the cracked bones with each and every movement of the desperately contained shiver that Castiel was trying to prevent. "This has got to come out Cas, right now," Sam established, not happy with the prospect. His own fever was making it hard to see, but could it wait till Dean returned? Right now, Castiel's position was more important than finding Metatron or the trials, he decided and fumbled for his cell. He had to not pass out before he could ask Dean for help at least as he was quite sure opening up somebody's abdominal cavity half comatose what not the greatest idea.

Tbc


	3. Presciption

Chapter 3: Prescription

Senses stuck in an aura of haze and fog, revolving around the otherwise simple task of breathing in a way it didn't aggravate the already swirling sea of pain his torso became, Castiel wasn't entirely sure how much time had passed and what was happening around him. The world was a lost to him, as lost he had seemed to the world. It felt like it was just him in the universe, alone and trapped in a dim tunnel, slowly drowning. The blur became thicker in waves, along with his semi-consciousness, but at some point, when the haze was less profuse, something, someone had finally managed to pull his mind back from the uncontrollable anguish enough so that he could feel a muslin bag being pressed into his palm and his fingers being closed over it by someone's insistent hand, holding his fist shut. He didn't need to have his eyes open to know it was Dean's and that awareness nudged him closer to his reality till he could hear the hunter's frantic pleas along with feeling Dean's anxious handling of him.

"It's a proper witchmade pain relief bag, it has to work! Come on Cas, it even works on Sam to some extent!" Dean was squeezing his hand a little shakily, hesitantly, as if scared his angel would break, "you need to tell me what to do, I don't just want to go ahead and butcher you!"

"We might not have any choice," Sam's level, although weary and saddened voice came, not from far away either.

Castiel gasped, his intentions of making his views on the subject be known stifled by the divine tablet's resumed electrical discharge burning his insides once more. Seeing the movement, not more than a change in facial expression, Dean cupped his face, calling his name, but the angel wasn't able to respond or even open his eyes. "I know it hurts bad Cas. I'm very sorry, that was the only pain relief bag we had left. Can you just tell me, will you be able to heal yourself if I cut that rock out of you? We could summon an angel to mojo it out or at least heal you."

"Nnnno..ssumm.." Castiel moaned, lips shaking. He squeezed Dean's fingers back, the only means he had at keeping them away from harm. He had to make them understand that there was a very good reason why he was on the run, "just cccuut.."

"He wants you to get it out now, Dean," Sam supplied the translation as if his older brother couldn't understand it himself.

"I know damn it," Dean snapped, "but it's not thanksgiving and he's not a turkey I'm willing to carve, god damn it!" The hunter exclaimed, hovering.

"I would do it, but my hands are shaking. I would do more damage," Sam winced in sympathy for the other ailing person in the room, "but I can guide you if you need it," he assured, "I think you should use the demon killing knife. Ordinary metal might not have any effect and the angel blade might kill him," he offered the chosen item to his brother.

"Okay, okay," Dean calmed himself down, then palpated Castiel's stomach to find the area where the tablet was closer to the surface. "Hold him down, just in case," he asked Sam, though neither of them thought their friend strong enough at the moment to fight them. But just as the younger hunter reached to hold the angel's shoulders, their patient started to cough and choke and shake more violently without warning, eyes clearly swivelling behind closed eyelids. "He's throwing up!" Sam realised, "help me turn him!"

Dean abandoned the knife to run round the other side of the bed and push Castiel to back into a recovery position. A moment later, the angel's clothes, the sheets and Sam on the receiving end was covered in a deep red, hot substance. Castiel's blood. Dean knelt on the bed to hold his friend's head backwards, locks sticking to the angel's sweaty forehead, to make sure he wasn't choking. But instead of crumbling over the shock of the sight, seeing Castiel in such a state kicked him into gear. "We need to hurry, he can't hold out much longer. Has he stopped throwing up?"

"I think so," Sam scrutinised the angel, his own sickness induced daze dissipating under the worry for the third member of Team Free Will.

Dean took a deep breath and turned Castiel into position for the procedure. Without wasting any more time, he quickly made an incision of about a few inches in length, just below the ribcage and reaching the navel, his hand not shaking as much as Sam's would've been, but not completely steady either.

Castiel gasped, the sudden added pain of lacerated muscles contracting spontaneously making him suddenly more aware of his surroundings. He started, eyes swivelling around wildly, forcing Sam to hold him down more forcefully, "it's ok Cas, we're trying to help," the younger hunter said as comfortingly as he possibly could.

"Oh my god.." Dean gulped, forcing down his own nausea at the exposed insides. "Can I go on? Is he ok?"

"Cas?" Sam probed, trying to maintain eye contact with the angel by moving into his field of vision as much as possible when Castiel's eyes moved round in panic. "It will be over in a moment, Cas, keep looking at me, we are going to help you, do you understand?"

Castiel shook his head, panting, trying to scream, speak, breathe, anything, and not managing either. There was a sickening, slurpy noise as Dean took the opportunity of the angel being distracted, stuck his hand into the incision and grabbed the slippery stone slick with blood. Castiel went rigid, inarticulate screeches finally only reaching his lips when the heavy weight occupying his belly has at last been lifted. Despite the wound, the blood loss and the pain, he felt instantly better. His lungs took great big greedy gulps of air as if he would've needed them, quivering muscles and skin already attempting to fix his injuries, slowing the bleeding down.

"He's ok, he's gonna be okay," Dean breathed out relieved, using a towel to dab at the blood still seeping out the large cut, angel tablet tossed to the table offhandedly and forgotten. "That was so stupid Cas."

"Dean..Dean.." Castiel puffed, hand searching for the hunter's.

The older Winchester let his friend take hold of what he was looking for and sat down at the edge of the bed so he could talk to and calm the angel down. Wound starting to close, it seemed more important that he reassured his ailing buddy everything will be all right, "take it easy man, take time to heal. You can do that comatose thing you sometimes do, we'll be here when you wake up."

"Nnno.." Castiel tried to sit up, failing miserably as he leaned on an elbow and collapsed on his side. "I nneed the tablet," he quivered.

"Don't be ridiculous Cas," Dean removed his comforting hand, miffed. "You're telling me you're going to choose that piece of rock over us again?" He rowed, angered.

Castiel made for the hunter's hand again, not having the strength to do more, "you don't understand," he whispered, sweating profusely with the effort, "if I'm not touching the tablet I might hurt you again. Naomi might still have control over me," he looked at the brothers desperately.

"I don't think you're strong enough to hurt anyone just now," Sam reconciled, glancing in the direction of the blood covered stone nevertheless.

Dean let himself be pulled back down by Castiel's shaking, weak hand, "listen Cas. I don't think you touching the tablet broke the connection. I was there, I know you didn't immediately stop being homicidal as you touched it. You still had the blade trained on me until I managed to get through to you. I said we that we need you, that you're still family and then I saw the change in your eyes. Remember that ok Cas? Rest. We'll talk about it when you're better. If nothing works, I'll shove that tablet in your hands myself to get some sense back into you, but I don't think that is the right way to go about it."

Castiel looked apprehensively from one brother to the other, but his grip on the hunter's fingers decreased. Or was that him simply passing out? The answer became clear when the angel's eyes rolled to the back of his head with a groan, his last, desperate attempt to stay awake. Sam checked their unconscious friend's breathing promptly, habitually, to reassure themselves, and then the brothers stared at each other in silence for the short moment that was undisturbed without the multitude of angel wings flapping, rapidly filling the space in the small room.

"I don't think my presence is even necessary," Naomi looked hard and intimidating at another angel in a male vessel and cheap suit. She extended her arm for the still dripping wet stone one of her other lackeys picked up. Sam held out a hand to squeeze Dean's arm, making sure both of them stayed sitting on the bed, next to Castiel. They were the Winchesters, but those were nearly a dozen angels and this was madness.

"Not so quickly, darling," Crowley joined them with quite of few of his demons in the hotel room, quickly becoming so cramped that nobody could move. Several gunshots were fired with detrimental effects to the angels judging by how tightly the brothers had to squeeze their eyes closed, but the initial disbelief over the King of hell's new, angel killing weapon was quickly replaced with close hand to hand combat between angels and demons that shook and threatened to bring down the whole building. With the Winchesters disregarded, it could've been a time for the two to take sides, or at the very least, join the fight.

His knife and a demon being closer, Dean ganked one, just to get himself some space, not really deciding on a course of action yet. Sam had a high fever and Cas was comatose, so tablet damned, he should get his loved ones out of there before the jolting walls crumbled. "Grab his legs!" He shouted at his lanky brother, taking Castiel's torso into his arms. With closed eyes to shield themselves from the blasts of energy that either angels dying or demons being smote caused, the little group shuffled towards and out the door till the crackling and roaring of the ceiling became louder than the sound of the melee. Dean paused, looking around for a quicker escape route at the same time as he felt Castiel jerking and trying to get out of his hold, "you can't go back! Forget the tablet!" The hunter urged, fastening his grip on the arms of the unfit angel.

The next moment, there was calm and silence, bar for birdsong, with a cool breeze soothing their frenzied expressions. Castiel was limp against his chest, his forehead turned against the hunter's front willingly. Dean dared to open his eyes to find himself staring at lush hills, steep rocks and the azure ocean.

"I wanted you safe, not the tablet," Castiel explained, eyes hazy, but with a small smile tugging at the sides of his lips.

"Thanks man, but really?" Dean stared up at the huge sculpture above his head.

"It's the first place I could think of," Castiel huffed an uneasy breath, closing his eyes tiredly again.

"I've always wanted to see Rio de Janeiro," Sam shrugged, leaning back in the shadow of the Jesus statue. "Just let him rest, Dean. We're allowed half an hour away from trials and tablets at one of the greatest marvels of the world."

The End.


End file.
